1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gaming methods and systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for adapting gaming devices to playing preferences.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many casinos offer electronic slot machines, each programmed to play a particular game of chance, such as slots, video poker, or video blackjack. While these games award payouts based upon play results, they are designed to retain, on average, a certain percentage of all money received. This percentage is commonly referred to as the "hold percentage." Despite the fact that the odds are stacked in favor of slot machines, players still play slot machines not only for their entertainment value, but also in hopes of winning a large jackpot.
To provide an added incentive to play the slot machines, many casinos offer programs to reward those players who frequently play slot machines. In one such program, a casino accumulates "player reward points" for a player as he spends money on slot machines in that casino. This can be done by networking the slot machines to a central server that stores the points for that player. The casino issues a player tracking card containing a unique player identification number. The player inserts the card into a card reader of a slot machine, which transmits the identification number to the central server. As the player spends money in the slot machine, the server accumulates reward points for that player. After the player accumulates enough points, he can redeem them for, for example, merchandise or apply them against room, food, and beverage charges at the casino hotel.
In many cases, however, these incentives may not be enough to attract casino players to play slot machines. One reason is that players may find it difficult to locate slot machines configured to play the game they prefer. A slot machine is typically programmed to play a single game type (e.g., deuces-wild, video poker). If a player is interested in playing a game other than the game that a particular slot machine is programmed to play, he is forced to wander around the casino until he is able to locate another available slot machine programmed to play the preferred game. In addition, where a group of people visit a casino, members of the group may be forced to split up so that each can find a slot machine programmed to play the game he likes.
Even after players have successfully found slot machines programmed to play the games they like, those slot machines may not be configured to operate in a manner that they like. For example, many slot machines do not permit players to select which language is used, or choose which form of payout (i.e., money, prize, complimentary awards) the player prefers. Thus, locating slot machines configured to players' preferences presents such an imposing task that many players are simply discouraged from even trying and consequently do not play slot machines. Accordingly, conventional slot machines do not satisfy the needs of many players.
To address this shortcoming, some slot machines prompt players at the beginning of every gaming session to select from a menu of games. This, however, requires players to spend some time at the beginning of each and every gaming session choosing their preferred game, which in most cases does not vary from session to session. Many players are unwilling to spend, or uninterested in spending, the time to repeatedly enter the same game selection every time they play. Accordingly, such slot machines are also unsatisfactory.